Art of preserving fruit and vegetables.



H. DUJARDIN. Y y ARTDP PRESBBVING FRUIT AND VBGBTABLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 15, 1910.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

SGS.

ATTORNEY HENRI DUJARDIN', 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

vAIR/.IT 0F PRESERVING FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.

fantasia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Application Bled December 15, 1910. Serial No. 597,444.

To u?? whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, HENRI DUJARDIN, a subject of the King ot' Belgium, residing in the city, county, and. State of New York, have inventedpertain new and useful Iniproveinents in the Art of Preserving Fruit and I/Tcgetables, of which the following is a specification.

My invention more particularly relates to the preservation lof fruits and vegetables which must be shipped over long distances.

Very many fruits and vegetables contain (.'onsiderable quantities of water. Especially 'is this true of vegetables like lettuce, endive, Brussels sprouts, and the like. In practice it has been found that if such fruits and vegetables are confined in a hermetically sealed case, which will prevent the egress of the developed gases due to the natural decay of such fruits and vegetables or packed in receptacles which will permit the egress of such gases but also permit the deposit of moisture, very rapid decay will take place.

My invention depends upon these observed facts, and, broadly stated, consists in packing such fruits and vegetables in such manner that the evolved gases shall find ready egress, but moisture. and external gases prevented from access to such fruits and vegetables.v

A number of different means may be employed to carry my invention into effect, and two of these means I have shown in the accompanying drawing which is merely illustrative.

Figure l is a perspective'view of a simple packing. Fig. 2 is a vertical section showingy a'receptacle containing a number of such simple packings. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but shows the vegetables introduced into the packing case without the simple packing.

Referring to Fig. 1 A illustrates the vegetable to be preserved. Surroundin this vegetable and enveloping it is a bo y impervious to the air. This body may bevmade of any suitable matter. I find paraflin paper to be well adapted. This parain paper is wrapped around the article in such manner as to permit egress of the gases due to the i decomposition of the article to be preserved.

The arrangement shown in the drawing is Well adapted for the purpose. The paper B is turned over the article and then the opposite ends C turned upward so as to form what may be in fact considered chimneys.

the weight of these bodies. Preferably, the

partitions are slightly smaller than the basket so as to allow the egress of gases along the sides of the basket. The partitions may be perforated as indicated in the lower partition, Fig. 2.

l With certain fruits and vegetables, particularly those that are hard and do not easily decay, I find that it is not necessary to pack each article or mass of articles with separate coverings, in which case I may use a receptacle shown as in Fig. 3. In this gure the basket D is lined4 with impervious paraffin paper as shown at F, which covers the bottom and sides of the basket and is turned over the top edges inwardly. In this figure the horizontal partitions G are madeof paraffin paper.

If desired, the partit-ions E of Fig. 2 and partitions G` of Fig. 3 may be combined.

In practice, fruits and vegetables packed as above described may be transmitted over long distances requiring anywhere from ten to fifteen days time and be received in per feet condition.

It should be observed that the pressure of the developed gas within the wrapping acts to prevent the ingress of moist air which would tend to promote decay.

Having thus described myA invention, I claim:

l. An improvement in the art of preserving fruit and vegetables, which consists in packing said articles in a covering arranged to permit the egress of the evolved gases, due to the decay of the article, but to prevent the ingress of -moisture or external gases.

2. An improvement in the art of preservingv fruit and vegetables, which consists in packingv such articles in a covering so applied as to permit the egress of the evolved gases, due to the decay of the article, but prevent the ingress of external gases or the deposit of moisture upon the articles to be preserved.

- 3. An improvementin the art of preserv ing fruit and vegetables, which consists in packing said'articles in a covering of paraffined. paper, so applied as to permit the egress of the evolved gases, due to the decay.

offthe'article to be preserved, but prevent the ingress ofvmoisture or 4externalvgases 4. An improvement in the art of preserving fruit and vegetables, which consists in packing the article to be preserved in a covering of paraflined paper placed Without the article,l and.' folding said parafined paper over the article'in such a manner'as to permit the egress of the gasesevolved by the article, but prevent ingress of air and moisture.

5. An improvementin the art of preserving fruit and vegetables, which evolve gases of decomposition, which consists in packing the article by placing it upon a body of paraiiined paper, thenl folding the paper over the article to form a closed seam, and then turning up the ends of the paper to form Within the folds, outlets for the gases evolved by the' article.

6. An improvement in the art of preserving fruit and vegetables, which consists in packing t-he articles to be preserved in a container constructed in such a manner and of such material, that the pressure of the evolved gases from the article to be preserved Will cause said gases to iow. from within the container into the atmosphere but oppose, by their pressure, the ingress of the external atmosphere to thearticle.

In testimony whereof, I atiX my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

HENRI DUJARDIN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES WESLEY DUNN. HELEN E. KoELsoH. 

